Five Ways to Make Your House Younger

Did you see "Hot In Cleveland" last week? We didn't either, mainly because we don't even know how to find TV Land on our TV. If you miss it, you can see the full episode here.

Anyway, the reason we mention it is because reading a LA Times review on the show we saw one funny line-- "To think we spent all that time and effort and money trying to look 10 years younger and 10 pounds lighter," says Malick, a recently unemployed soap star now being offered grandma roles, "and all we had to do was crash-land in Cleveland."

You'll have to be at that age to know what we are talking about! You know, the age where we look at younger women more than our husbands do? The age that we keep saying to ourselves, man, if I can only have my old body back with my current brain? Which leads us to this point, do you know your house can look 10 years younger too? Most people don't realize this, but the way we decorate our house is very much like the way we dress, it literally can add or subtract a few years.

Here are five ways you can instantly update your home:

1) Use fresh and happy colors via use of wallpapers, paints and fabrics.

Wallpapers are so in now. We love, love it. Not as much to wallpaper every room like they did in the sixties, but by wallpapering just one wall or a small bathroom or dining room, you can instantly freshen things up.

Furniture is like fashion. It changes with time. You probably notice that furniture are not as heavy as they use to be. The heavy, ornate look for furniture (think Real Housewives of Orange County/New Jersey/Atlanta) are as out as McMansions. Rather, look for furniture that are modern and clean-lined with fresh designs. If you have upholtery pieces with good bones (say, a very comfortable sofa), consider re-upholstering it with new fabrics. The fabric choices nowadays are amazing.

4) Get small little things that count.

Sometimes things are so tough that shopping is not an option (2008-2009, anyone?). But you know how sometimes a little thing can make us feel much better, say, a tube of pretty lipstick? It's like that for the home too. We spend so much time in our home, it's ok to treat yourself a little bit. Little things like dressing your bed with really good sheets, make your bathroom like a spa etc. goes a long way. You see this with a good hotel--it's the little details that make all the difference.

So consider buying a new rug, a couple of pretty pillows--it doesn't have to be expensive. Homegoods is a good store for bargains like this. Buy lots of books secondhand. They make you look smart (and great accessories too).

Note: A good source for hotel things is American Hotel Registry. They sell actual hotel sheets, pillows and mattresses and from what we can see, the prices are pretty good and that you can buy directly from them. (We are not affiliated with this site in anyway)

5) Go contrarian.

The problem with trend is that after a while everything looks the same. Remember how Juicy Couture was all the rage just a couple of years back? What happened now to those velour tracksuits?

Home trends are like that too. After a while everyone's house look the same. Enough with the granite counter already. Enough with one paint color for each room. And please, do we need 10,000 square feet home?

The best styles are the ones that buck against the trend, stay true to the classic, and retain its integrity.

Go with your personality and your style, unless, of course, you have no style (in that case, consider hiring help).